Gauntree-crane.



PATENTED APR. 4, 1905.

W. R. KALES.

GAUNTREB CRANE.-

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A Vf@ No. 786,362. PATENTBD APR. 4, 1905.

- W.R. KALES. 'v

- GAUNTRE CRANE. APPLICATION FILED PEB. 15, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED- APR. 4, 1905.

W. R. KAL'ES. GAUNTRBE CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 151 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Worf/names 1 UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905.

PATENT QEEICE.

GAUNTREE-CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,362,6lated April 4,1905. Application filed February 15, 1904. Serial No. 193,602.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. KALEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gauntree-Cranes, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference beingI had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to structures corn- Inonly known asgauntree-cranes, l and which are characterized by the arrangement of abridge supported at opposite ends by piers, the latter being travelingly mounted upon parallel tracks. The bridge forms a support for thetraveling crane-carriage, which is sufciently elevated to give clearancefor the material to be handled by the crane between the piers.Heretofore structures of this character have been formed in which thepier at one end is formed with a wide wheel-base and at its upper endpivotally supports the bridge. The pier at the opposite end is alsoflexibly secured to the bridge and is supported on a narrow wheel-basetraveling' upon a single track. The wheels for both piers are adapted tobe driven, and as a consequence whenever motion is imparted thereto thebridge will be caused to travel without straining its structural parts,the pivotal connections compensating for any slight inequalities in themovement of the opposite piers. At the same time stability is given tothe structure by reason of the wide wheel-base for one of the piers.

The objection to the structure just described is that the widewlIeel-base for the one pier necessitates a clearance of a considerablearea of available space. It further requires three tracks for supportingthe structure, two for the pier having a wide base and a third for theopposite pier.

It is the object of the present invention to obtain a construction inwhich each of the piers is formed with a narrow base travelinglysupported upon a single track, so that but two tracks are required forthe structure.

It is a further object to impart stability to the structure withoutinterfering with thenecessary flexibility and avoid straining the parts.

lith these objects in view the invention consists in the construction ashereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the crane, showing thesupporting-tracks therefor in transverse section. Fig'. 2 is a planview. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at one end. Fig. 4 isI an elevationof the opposite end. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the pivotalconnection shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan of a portion ofFig. 2. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on line a' a', Fig'. 6. Fig. 8is an enlarged section through one of the hangers shown in Fig. 7. Fig.9 is an enlarged end elevation of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 illustrates thecentral pivot shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a modifiedconstruction. Fig. l2 is an end elevation thereof.

A is the bridge, which may be of any suitable construction; but ispreferably provided with the separate side trusses B and C and thecentral track I) for travelingly supporting the carriage E. This track,as shown, is formed of an I-beam secured to the under side of the topsections F of the bridge, and the carriage may be of any suitableconstruction to travel over this track.

G is a pier for supporting one end of the bridge. This pier is providedwith a narrow base which is supported upon grooved wheels H, engagingwith the track I. The upper end of the pier is enlarged in width,preferably upon opposite sides of the plane of the track, and thestructure is so formed as to arch over the bridge, as shown in Figs. 4.and 9 of the drawings. The top portion of the pier is preferably ofsubstantially rectangular form and, as illustrated in Fig. 6, comprisesa plurality of pairs of separated channelbeams J, J, and J2, extending'transversely and supported upon the longitudinally-extending beams K andIC. The latter form the upper ends of the sides of the pier, which lat-I ter are formed by oppositely-inclined struts L and L', the centralposts M, and suitable intermediate bracing N. The rectangular form ofthe top is maintained by suitable diagonal braces O.

The pier constructed as above described supports the bridge byaplurality of pendent IOO hangers P, which lare arranged, preferably,upon opposite sides of the plane of the track and also preferably uponopposite sides of the central plane of the bridge. As shown in Figs. 4,6, and 9,such hang'ers are provided, which are arranged at the fourcorners of the rectangle. Each hanger comprises a rod a, which passesdownward between the channelbeams J and also between the separatedchannels Q, which form cross-girders of the bridge. The opposite ends ofthese rods are headed, one head being preferably formed integral withthe rod and the opposite head being formed by nuts c, engaging thethreaded end of the rod. l represents segmental spherical washersarranged on the rods adjacent to the heads, and these washersrespectively engage With annular seats formed in plates c and f,respectively, secured to the channels J and Q. Thus the bridge issupported from the arch of the pier at four points by the hangers IJadjacent to the four corners of the rectangle.

R is a pivot-pin secured to a central plate f/ upon the central pair ofchannels J. This pin extends downward and engages with an aperturedplate 7L on the central cross-girders Q of the bridge.

S is a pier supporting the opposite end of the bridge, the base of whichis provided with grooved wheels T for engaging with the track I. Thebridge is pivotally secured to the pier S by suitable means, such as thebolt U, which is arranged centrally of the pier and bridge.

The parts being constructed as shown and described, it will beunderstood that the hangers P will permit of a limited swinging movementof the bridge in relation to the pier. This movement is, however,limited to a rotary or swivcling movement by the central pivot-pin R..At the same time the hangers being arranged upon opposite sides of theplane of the track I will serve to hold the bridge in stableequilibrium. lVhenever the wheels H and T are driven, which isaccomplished by suitable mechanism, (not shown,) the piers will becaused to travel along the tracks I and I, and any irregularity in thesetracks or variation in the width between them will be compensated foreither by the swinging movement of the hangers I) or by the dexibleconnection U. As both piers are supported upon single tracks, all thespace between said tracks is available.

In Figs. l1 and 19., as shown, is a modiiication in which in place offorming a swivel connection between the pier and bridge the said partsare rigidly attached to each other, and the pier is provided with aswivel-base. As shown, IV is the pier in the form of a column rigidlysecured to the bridge lV', which is in the form of an I-beam and bracedthereto by the member IN2. 73 is a base formed by a pair of separatedchannel-bars, the column VV being swiveled in plates XV', secured tosaid beams. W 5 represents wheels which are journaled in bearingssecured to the beam W3 and adapted to engage with the track. Theopposite pier IV is swiveled at W7 to the bridge WV and carries at itslower ends the track-wheels WS, and W9 is a suitable mechanism fordriving the track-wheels. Tith this construction, where one pier movesslightly in advance of the other, all stress is relieved from thestructure by the swivcling of the column IV in the base W3. At the sametime the structure is perfectly stable on aecount of the rigid andbraced connection between the column IN and the bridge NV.

I hat I claim as my invention is l. 1n a gauntreecrane,the combinationwith a bridge, of a supporting-pier therefor, having a narrow base, anda bracing connection between said pier and bridge, adapted to hold thesame rigid in the vertical longitudinal plane of said bridge, whilepermitting a relative horizontal swivcling.

2. In a gauntree-crane the combination with the bridge of a taperingsupporting-pier therefor having its narrow portion at its base and aconnection between said pier and bridge permitting of a swivcling in anapproximately horizontal plane of said base in relation to said bridge.

3. In a gauntree-crane the combination with the bridge of asupporting-pier therefor having a narrow base and a top arching over thebridge and a flexible connection between said top and bridge at aplurality of longitudinally-separated points whereby stability isimparted to the structure while permitting of a limited swivcling in ahorizontal plane.

4l. In a gauntree-crane the combination with the bridge of asupporting-pier therefor having a narrow wheel-base, and a relativelywidened top, extended longitudinally upon opposite sides of the plane ofthe wheels and hangers depending from the opposite sides of said top andsupporting said bridge, said hangers permitting a slight movementrelative thereto.

5. In a gauntree-crane the combination with the bridge of asupporting-pier therefor haying a narrow wheel-base and a top, ofsubstantially rectangular form, and hangers depending from said top nearthe several corners thereof, and connected at their lower ends with saidbridge.

G. In a gauntree-crane,the combination with a bridge, of asupporting-pier therefor, having a narrow base, a bracing connectionbetween saidV pier and bridge, holding the same rigid in the verticallongitudinal plane of said bridge, while permitting a relativehorizontal swivcling, and a pier supporting the opposite end of saidbridge, said latter pier permitting the longitudinal movement of saidbridge in relation to the pier-base.

7. In a gauntree-crane the combination of a supporting-pier, theopposite sides of which IOO IIOl

i [n testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

VILLIAM R. KALES.

Wi tn esses:

JAMES P. BARRY, H. C. SMITH.

